Competing with Netflix: The Georgia Museum of Art's Student Night

UGA students Gabby Victorio and Kylie Anderson at Student Night

How do you catch the attention of college students on a Thursday evening when there’s Netflix to be watched, essays to be written and concerts to go to? A combination of free pizza, amusing crafts, a WUOG DJ, a Polaroid photo booth and an innovative exhibition by an African American artist will not only capture their attention but attract them in hordes. The Georgia Museum of Art StudentAssociation put on its second student night of the academic year on Thursday, November 9, highlighting the exhibition “Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs andtête-à-tête.”

Students making collages at Student Night   

The student nights are put on three nights a year by the Student Association as a way to draw students in and showcase the current exhibitions and permanent collection of the museum. Each student night includes a craft that is related to the exhibition, free food catered by a local restaurant, a DJ from the student-run college radio station (WUOG), an activity involving the exhibition and a Polaroid photo booth. The craft for this Student Night involved students making collages with Polaroids and magazine clippings as homage to Thomas’ work and the activity had students using Snapchat to complete a scavenger hunt of images from the exhibition.

Student Association president Rebecca Gross said, of choosing the Thomas exhibition for the student night, “Our whole team really felt drawn to this show. We always go and take a walk through the galleries to choose an exhibit before we start planning student night, and this one was an immediate yes. Not only were all the works visually striking, but the themes addressed really stuck out to us. The show deals with things that may be uncomfortable for some people to talk about, but I think they are exactly the things we need to talk about, especially as college students. Our hope in featuring this exhibit was that the vibrancy and visual opulence would draw students in, and from that they would be prompted to think about some of these important social issues.”

Members of the student association in front of the photo booth    

The Student Association has been active for many years now and continues to grow with each passing year. Students enjoy the opportunity to be an active member in promoting the museum and its wonderful exhibitions. 

The Student Association is planning its next student night for February 8, 2018. Join them for a night of art, music and fun. 

Stephanie Motter

Intern, Department of Communications